“Perhaps the greatest Maret comeback I have ever witnessed,” says PE and Athletic Department Chair Liz Hall. Trailing St. John’s 0–6, the Maret softball team rallied in the final inning, scoring seven runs and pulling ahead to win the DCSAA championship.

Earlier in the week, the Maret team beat Bell in the opening round and then upset #1 ranked Georgetown Visitation to make it to the finals against #2 ranked St. John’s. Coach Madi Maldonado had faith in her team: "This team refuses to quit. We have faced a lot of adversity this year, and they always find a way to come together in tough moments."

Alexa ’21 hit the single that brought in the Frogs’ first run in the seventh inning. Then, two more runs were batted in by Becca ’21 and Lilah ’22, bringing the score to 3–6. “Once we started getting hits, the momentum was electrifying,” says Alexa.

With bases loaded, CJ ’23 stepped up to the plate and connected. Coach Maldonado urged the runners around the bases. One, two, three, four—the Maret players crossed the plate for a grand slam. The team was in the lead, but there was half an inning left.

CJ, one of five siblings to play for Maret and the third to make it to the DC state tournament, still had work to do. As the team headed out to the field, she took the pitcher’s mound. St John’s advanced a player to second base, but there were two outs already, and a popup made three.

The victory was Maret’s first DCSAA championship win.

Alexa reflects, “Despite how behind we were, the closeness of our team and support we always give one another allowed us to keep fighting until the game was over. I feel so grateful to have been a part of this team.”

Photo by Cory F. Royster ©